Kobe University UNESCO Chair – UTAR Workshop on Social
Impact of Post Covid-19
6 & 7 November 2023

Welcoming-Opening Remarks by UTAR President

Kobe University
UNESCO Chair UTARWorkshop on Social
Impact of Post
COVID 19
6 & 7 November 2023

Ronni AlexanderChair-holder

What is a UNESCO Chair?


Objective: creation of a university network for:

TeachingResearchCross-border sharing of knowledge

Approval

Needs approval by UNESCO headquartersFour-year periodNo accompanying funding

UNESCO Chairs as of 2023.11
Worldwide: 950 Chairs, 45UNITWIN networks in 120countries
Japan: 11Role

R. AlexanderContribute to research, education, partnering, community outreach2023/11/6

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Kobe UniversityUNESCO Chair

https://www.office.kobe-u.ac.jp/opgekyodo-sankaku/project/unesco/

R. Alexander

Title: Gender, Vulnerability and Well-being in Disaster Risk
Reduction Support

Run by Kobe University Gender Equality Office

Purpose:Share experience of disaster from Kobe University
to the worldDeepen connections with other countries,
institutions to create a safer and more inclusiveworld

Duration: 4 years; 1st term: 2018 - 2022; 2nd term: 2022 2026

Only UNESCO Chair on gender & disaster

Under supervision of UNESCO Women’s DivisionPart of a Global Network of UNESCO Chairs on Gender (23chairs)
2023/11/6

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Partner Institutions: 5 countries, 8institutions, many different fields• UTAR: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman,
Malaysia

UGM
MERCY
Malaysia

UTAR

MFU

KobeUniversity• UGM: Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia• NKUST: National Kaohsiung University ofScience and Technology, Taiwan• MFU: School of Social Innovation, Mae FahLuang University, Thailand

NKUST• Kobe University, Japan• Mercy Malaysia, Malaysia

NIDC2023/11/6

NWEC

R. Alexander• NWEC: National Women’s Education Center,Japan• NIDC: Network for International
Development Cooperation, Thammasat
University, Thailand

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Tasks of our UNESCO Chair: Education, research, outreachThis workshop
RESEARCHEDUCATION/
AWARENESS

Joint research withpartners• Gender sensitiveand inclusive
guidelines fordisaster risk
reduction• Build
multidisciplinarymodel for DRR

Establish guidelines Policy
Awareness &strategy• Circulate andrecommendations
implementation• Should meetdisseminate• Training forthrough seminars,
local needs
students,
symposia, HP, etc. • Should aim toprofessional,
build morepolicy makers
resilient and• DRR awarenessinclusive society
activities for
local community• Develop teachingmaterials

R. Alexander

GUIDELINESPOLICYDDR NETWORKEXPANSION

RECOMMENDATIONS

2023/11/6

5Expansion of DRRnetwork• Build
international
DRR network
based on genderequality, social
inclusion andwell-being

Achievements of theEducation Program

2018, 2019 2-week Summer Course at
Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia;
students from UGM, NKUST, KU

On-line from 2020 with students from all
the partner universities

Plans for 2024 at UGM

Some students have gone for further
graduate studyAll students said they had a good experienceand learned a lot

R. Alexander

2023/11/6

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Achievements of theKobe University UNESCO
Chair Research Program

Edited volume, Springer

Part of the Kobe University
Monograph Series in Social
Science Research

12 Chapters, 235 pages

Contributions from each of thepartner institutions



Case studies of disaster focusing
on gender and vulnerability,
policy perspective

R. Alexander

2023/11/6

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The UNESCO Chair international workshop
ParticipantsPrior seminars

Partner institutions

Purpose Increase our knowledge about

issues relating to gender,vulnerability and well-being indisaster support
 Develop a common language todiscuss these issues

 2018 Kick-off seminar, Kobe 2019 MFU: book project begins
 2021 NKUST (on-line) "Climate

Change and Disaster Relief"
 2022 “2nd term Kick-off, Kobe
University (on-line) Different academic disciplines
 Different theoretical perspectives
2023/11/6

R. Alexander

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The COVID-19 pandemic affected the well-being of
everyone, especially women and vulnerable people

Why focus on
COVID-19?

• Serious social, economic implications at all levels of global
society: individuals, countries, regions and the entire world• Global cooperation is necessary to overcome it

COVID-19 is not the first health emergency, nor will
it be the last
• Spanish Flu, HIV/AIDs, SARS, MERS, Ebola …
• With increasing natural and human disasters, awareness andpreparedness are essential

A gender perspective with a focus on vulnerability
and well-being can help to make a safer world• If the world is safer for the most vulnerable in our communities,
it will be safer for everyone

R. Alexander

2023/11/69This workshop: Learning from COVID-19
 Participants Partner institutions
 Special! Badur un Nisa, Shifa Tameer

e Millat University, Pakistan

Purpose

UNESCO Chair goals
Guidelines for disaster support sensitive togender, vulnerability and well-being
Development of curriculum/classroom
materials
Dissemination of information

Further our work together
Reflect on aspects of COVID-19 and what

lessons we should be learning
Discuss how we should proceed for the next 2years
Discuss how to contribute to meeting theUNESCO Chair goals
R. Alexander

2023/11/611

This workshop: 6 presentations
 “The Impact of Covid-19 on Gender

Equality for Employment and Female
Seafarers’ Employment Situation inTaiwan” Sun, Jhih-Sian, NKUST, Taiwan

 “Mainstreaming Gender and Social

Inclusion in Climate-Related Disasters inThailand”
Maya Dania, MFU, Thailand

 “Experience of Entrepreneurship

Development Program to Build of a
Resilient Society” Badur un Nisa, Shifa
Tameer e Millat University, Pakistan

2023/11/6

R. Alexander “Covid 19: The Main Contractor’s

Perspective in Malaysia”
Kuan , UTAR, Malaysia

Tan Ooi “The Impact of on-line learning forJapanese students: considering gender,vulnerability and well-being,” Noda,Kazue & Ronni Alexander. KU, Japan

 “Health literacy about COVID-19

prevention among women in lowincome families in Indonesia,” Ariani
Putri Pertiwi, UGM, Indonesia

12How will wetie thesetogether?
Please keep in touch to find out

R. Alexander

2023/11/6

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Thank you UTAR for your hospitality
R. Alexander

2023/11/6

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International Kobe University UNESCO Chair – UTAR Workshop on Social Impact of Post Covid-19
under the UNESCO Chair Kobe on Gender, Vulnerability, and Well-being in Disaster Risk Reduction SupportThe Impact of COVID-19
on the Gender Equality for Employment andan Employment Situation for Women Seafarers in Taiwan
Presenter : Dr. Sun, Jhih-Sian and Dr. Yu, Hui-Lung
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

0Disaster Resilience andEnvironmental Sustainability (DRES)ARCID, School of Social Innovation
Mae Fah Luang University
Chiang Rai, Thailand

Presented by:
Reni Juwitasari
Maya Dania

Mainstreaming Gender andSocial Inclusion in ClimateRelated Disasters inThailand
UNESCO-Chair Kobe University
Gender, Vulnerability and Well-Being
in Disaster Risk Reduction SupportExperience & Learning fromEntrepreneurship Development
Program to Build a Resilient
SocietyDr. Badur Un Nisa
Assistant Professor
Shifa Tameer E Millat University, Islamabad Pakistan

Kobe University UNESCO Chair – UTAR Workshop
on Social Impact of Post Covid-19
6 & 7 November 2023

Covid 19: The Main Contractor’s
Perspective in Malaysia
By
Ir. Ts. Dr. Tan Ooi Kuan
Department of Civil Engineering
Lee Kong Chien Faculty of Engineering & Science
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

• Noda Kazue• Ronni Alexander

The Impact of on-line learning
for Japanese students:
considering gender,vulnerability and well-being• Kobe University UNESCOChair• International Seminar• 2023.11.6-7, UTAR, Malaysia

HEALTH LITERACY ABOUT COVID- 19
PREVENTION AMONG W OMEN IN
LOW - INCOME FAMILIES IN INDONESIALe ly Lu s m ila s a r i, Uk i No v ia n a , Me ly za
Pe r d a n a , a n d Ar ia n i Ar is t a Pu t r i Pe r t iw i
Department of Nursing
Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing
Universitas Gadjah MadaIndonesia

Day 2Sekolah Menengah Jenis
Kebangsaan Hwa LianSchool visit

Briefing to school
students on COVID-19(Ir Ts Dr Tan Ooi Kuan)

Thank you
everyone!

UTAR News Report: https://news.utar.edu.my/news/2023/Nov/16/01/01.html